Reorganising, creating space, return of peace

In the latter part of this afternoon, I was paid a visit by the decluttering bug, he never announced he was coming to visit today, he just appeared.  When you are paid a visit by the decluttering bug it is a bit like putting on the red shoes, if you have seen the video "The Red Shoes" by Kate Bush you will know what I'm trying to say here.  Anyway, the decluttering bug is a hard task master, and before I knew it, I was turfing out yet more stuff, creating spaces in storage cupboards which hadn't seen space for a long time. It didn't stop there, the decluttering bug pointed me in the direction of my study and said "get that sorted out Mrs".  My study used to be my treatment room a few years ago (I still call it the Reiki Room), it was a peaceful, tranquil space, where family and friends came for Reiki, Indian Head Massage or Reflexology.  But, since I started my counselling course nearly 3 years ago, I slowly began to leave the healing path, I kind of had my own stuff to look at, I needed to heal some of my emotional clutter.  It often left me in a strange and unfamiliar place at times, leaving me with questions, such as "who is the person I've become? Self healing is a bit like being an onion I suppose, there are always more layers to unpeel. I'm a work in progress, always will be.

But, I have been feeling the pull back to Reiki, back to healing - it feels like a sort of home coming, I feel like I am travelling a path back to myself. I feel like I have come full circle, for the time being at least.
Although I don't have space for my massage table at the moment, I feel the study is now half a study and half a tranquil space which could be used for meditation/yoga, I'm not really sure yet, but I know I'm making room for something.
I  now have enough room for my Lafuma Chair, which means I can give reflexology treatments.  The room looks and feels so much better, I'm looking forward to reconnecting with healing energy and I am reminded of my word for this year -magical connections. 

My Reiki Room/Study - infused with space, light, love, mojo!

I Can Choose Peace

A year of mornings 15th January 2012

Through the kitchen blinds this morning I spied a Robin having breakfast on the bird tray. I  quickly grabbed the camera and did my best to take a picture through the kitchen window, it's not brilliant but I was so happy to get a picture of the little fella or lady!

Did you know that Robins have a sweet tooth? They often take cake, especially fruit cake, coconut cake and uncooked pastry. (so if you have any unwanted Christmas Cake, you know what to do with it!). Mealworms are a firm favourite, this is what the Robin in my garden was feasting on this morning.  In the garden centres, mealworms are really expensive, I bought a bag yesterday from Home Bargains for £1.29 - Bargain!!

A year of mornings

Has anyone heard about a year of mornings?...I have come across it several times so far this year and it keeps grabbing my attention,  I read this about it:
  
"The morning hours before the hustle and bustle of the day commences is the perfect time to pause and enjoy a sense of renewal and vitality. On the morning of December 7, 2006, Maria Alexandra Vettese and Stephanie Congdon Barnes each took a digital photo of everyday objects randomly arranged on their kitchen tables and, unbeknownst to one another, uploaded them to the website Flickr.
"A Year of Mornings" collects 236 images—always taken before noon without discussion between the two women – from this uniquely 21st-century artistic collaboration. The intimacy of these photographs—discarded clothing, a view of a snowy day from the window, a table cloth—combined with their striking similarities in color and composition defies the reality of their long-distance collaboration. While clearly kindred spirits, the two women have met in person only once. Their friendship is maintained solely online, sustained by a shared love for moments of serenity, solitude, and peacefulness. The annotated photographs in "A Year of Mornings" radiate an aura of sweetness and light—the promise of a new day."

I think I may give this a go, although I don't have anyone to exchange with.

The picture below was taken with my panasonic DMC-LX5.  I had put it down on the kitchen table and it was still on for some reason, I noticed the lens was pointing to the front of the kitchen so I just "hit the button" so to speak.  I quite like the result because I really feel the camera took this picture, it was just sat there ready to go, there was no intervention from me at all.

Saturday Morning - daily life in my kitchen.

Sunny Moments

I enjoyed some sunny moments out on my dog walk today:

St Annes Beach

My, what long legs you have swirly girl!

Dune grass & sky

 

 

 

 

     

When on a dog walk

When on a dog walk, camera to be carried at all times, because you never know what delights Mother Nature has to offer.

Sunset on the Fylde Coast 8th Jan 2012

Friday = play day

As you know, I have been a busy bee this week de-cluttering, rearranging furniture and trying to get a more simplistic look going on in the home and in my cupboards. As I was busy decluttering some of my cd's yesterday, I picked up a cd by the Manic Street Preachers called "Everything Must Go" - a message from the Universe perhaps? - anyway, that particular cd is most definitely staying! I did commit to getting another 3 bags filled for the Charity Shops, infact I filled 4! 

I picked up a great idea from a lady who was participating in Hannah Marcotti's clear out your closet day - she said " most years I get rid of everything that I don't LOVE and feel beautiful and comfortable in. Then I turn all the hangers backwards to start the year, and as I wear things I turn them around so that by the end of the next year I can see clearly what I have not worn at all and start by tossing those into the donation pile."
LOVE this idea! so,needless to say, I have turned all my hangers backwards. It will be interesting to see exactly what I do and don't wear by the end of this year!

Today, I decided to start taking some pictures as I am currently in week 1 of Susannah Conway's Photo Meditations.  So far this week we have looked at composition - lines - vertical and diagonal.  Rule of thirds, rule of odds and white space/negative space.  Rules of course are there to be broken too!
Usually I enjoy taking pictures of pets, people or my fave subject - nature.  Today, I chose to get out of my comfort zone and see what I could conjure up indoors.  To begin with I found it difficult.  But, as with most things, once you to start too really "see", then photo opportunities pop up everywhere. 

Playing with diagonal's - the feline beauty is my cat Dibble.

This picture just spoke to me, probably because it is a photo of my Hunter Wellingtons which are approx 25 years old and have taken me on lots of lovely dog walks.  They have holes appearing around the ankles but I can't bear to part with them!

Wash Day Soul - this doesn't follow any compostion rules but I loved the colours and shadow work going on in the shirts as they lay draped over the Sheila Maid.

My owls perched on the radiator shelf enjoying the morning sunlight - I hope I have managed to incorporate the rule of odds, diagonal and negative space in this.

Making Space

I am really looking forward to Hannah Marcotti's The Making Space Cleanse. You can read all about it at  Hannahs Harvest.  And, if you get inspired by it, Hannah is offering a free spot on the cleanse, for more details visit here Hannahs Harvest . The cleanse is about making space in our homes, hearts and minds so that we may honour our spirits and bodies. I am so ready for that!  Infact, I can't wait to get started, so I've had my very own pre making space cleanse party!

I have created space in a cupboard ready to be filled with healthy ingredients:

Making space for healthy ingredients

I've also been clutter busting (a theme carried forward from last year).  After clearing out loads of clothes from my closet last year, I have now got ruthless with the clothes left and had another clear out. I got inspired by Hannah's comments on her facebook page when she says she only wears about 5 things.  I have created so much more space as a result, it feels really good.  But, the clutter busting didn't stop there - oh no!  I have been clutter busting yet more books (this I find really hard but I really don't like the feeling the power of "attachment" has over me. So today I have had another purge.

6 bags of clothes and a box of glassware

These bags have now been "adios'd" down to various local Charity Shops and I know I have more stuff  I am prepared to let go of.  So, I commit to finding at least 3 more bags of stuff to go this week. I am working my way up to clearing out the "big one" - the storage cupboard under the eaves in our loft conversion - more to come on that, as it involves a trip to Ikea for storage racks!

This year (so far) hasn't all been about clutter busting and space clearing.  I've also been enjoying Susannah Conway's Photo Meditations e-course which started this week. It's lovely stuff.  A 5 week course sharing everything about creating images that carry an imprint of your heart and soul.

Here's my favourite picture I've taken so far this year:

You can just about see the moon!

The Making Space Cleanse starts on January 22nd,  which is the perfect time for harnessing our desires and making space as New Moon weeks are magical for visualizing what we truly want!

Moment by moment

Have a  happy new moment, since nothing else is possible to eyes that really see.....Byron Katie.

This New Years Day, I have had many magical moments:

 

Bringing in the New Year with sparklers

Beautiful fireworks - I can see a humming bird!

Sign in the pub - "Todays Soup is Very Nice"

Rydal Water

Jasper

Mandle Candle

I didn't have a word for 2011. This year my word is magical connections, because what I learned from 2011 was this: